Temporal Stalker
Temporal Stalker Medium Undead (Extraplanar, Incorporeal) Hit Dice: 4d12 (26 hp) Initiative: +3 Speed: Fly 50 ft. (perfect) (10 squares) Armor Class: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 deflection), touch 17, flat-footed 14 Base Attack/Grapple: +2/— Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6 plus energy drain) Full Attack: Incorporeal touch +5 melee (1d6 plus energy drain) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Create spawn, energy drain, paradox Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., incorporeal traits, planar commitment, spell resistance 10, track through time, undead traits Saves: Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +6 Abilities: Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 19 Skills: Diplomacy +8, Hide +10, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Listen +9, Search +11, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +11, Spot +9, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks) Feats: Ability Focus (paradox), Lightning Reflexes Environment: Demiplane of Time Organization: Solitary or anachronism (2–4) Challenge Rating: 5 Treasure: None Alignment: Always neutral evil Advancement: 5-12 HD (Medium) Level Adjustment: — This vaguely humanoid-shaped being appears to be composed entirely smoky mist. Flashes of silver light pulse within its form, and red pinpoints of light glow where its eyes should be. As it moves, a glimpse of a more substantial humanoid form is briefly seen through the haze of mist. Temporal stalkers are undead from the Demiplane of time. These nomadic entities cannot leave that realm, and have a deep-seated hatred for creatures of other realms. Temporal stalkers harass time travelers and those that find other means of reaching their demiplane. Their hatred for the living is compounded thousandfold for chronomancers and other creatures that have mastery of time travel. Temporal stalkers leave the native inhabitants of the Demiplane of Time alone, and those creatures generally treat stalkers likewise. They spend their time wandering the plane, looking for the slightest evidence of an intruder, then tirelessly hunt down the interloper. About the only way to successfully parlay with a temporal stalker is to offer up more attractive prey. The whereabouts of a chronomancer, for example, could buy a free pass from the stalkers, as would offering to bait a trap for one. Temporal stalkers are highly knowledgeable of their home plane, and can offer excellent intelligence if one isn't above placing another creature in harm's way. Temporal stalkers are 6 feet tall and weightless. Temporal stalkers speak Common and Draconic. COMBAT Temporal stalkers usually hunt alone, but will form packs to hunt larger groups or exceptionally powerful individuals. They have been known to track a target for months, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Stalkers prefer to pick off straggler from groups of temporal travlers. Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain by a temporal stalker's energy drain attack becomes a temporal stalker in 1d4 days. Spawn are not under the command of the temporal stalker that created them. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life. Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by a temporal stalker's incorporeal touch attack gains one negative level. The DC is 16 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. The save DC is Charisma-based. For each such negative level bestowed, the temporal stalker gains 5 temporary hit points. Paradox (Su): A temporal stalker may attempt to alter one aspect of a creature's past. Paradox targets a single creature within 100 feet. When using paradox, a temporal stalker may choose one of the following effects: Recall Agony: The paradox reveals wounds the victim has received in the past. That foe takes 2d6 points of damage as the past impinges briefly on the present. A successful DC 18 Will save negates this effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Spell Swap: The stalker may attempt to swap out one of a spellcaster's prepared spells for one less useful in the current battle. To do so, the temporal stalker makes a Spellcraft check. It may swap a single spell of a level up to the amount its result exceeds 10. Thus, a Spellcraft check result of 17 allows the stalker to swap a single spell of up to 7th-level. Spell swap has no effect on spontaneous casters. Swap Ongoing Effect: The stalker may swap out an ongoing spell effect, class feature, or magic item effect, as long as the user has an alternate effect available. Thus, it can replace a victim's bull's strength with owl's wisdom (assuming it has prepared or knows that spell), could change a bard's inspire heroics with inspire competence, or change the "geyser" effect of a decanter of endless water to the "stream" effect. A successful DC 18 Will save negates this effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Switch Item: The stalker may alter an single item worn or carried by the victim with another item on its person. Thus, it could swap the vial of holy water its victim holds with a flask of acid from its backpack, or replace its drawn magic longsword with a fork from its mess kit. The replaced item always returns to the most logical place on the victim (a weapon back to its sheath, tools back to a backpack, spell components back to a pouch, etc.) A successful DC 18 Will save negates this effect. The save DC is Charisma-based. Planar Commitment (Ex): Temporal stalkers cannot leave the Demiplane of Time. They are teleported 100 miles in a random direction if an attempt is made to force them to leave. Temporal Stalkers and Manual of the Planes If you are using Manual of the Planes in your campaign, temporal stalkers could be native to the Temporal Energy Plane. Track Through Time (Ex): A temporal stalker can sense the past as well as the present, feeling the movement of creatures up to 24 hours before the current time. This allows the stalker to unerringly track any creature that has passed by within the last day. Originally appeared in Chronomancer (1995). Category:Undead